Collapsible form.



H. O. MEEK & C. E. BRADBURN.

COLLAPSIBLE FORM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1, 1910.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Z7 'j/flmwmmmfi W't ess I I v u lnv ntor Attorneys H. 0. MEEK 5: G. E.BRADBURN.

GOLLAPSIBLE FORM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1, 1910.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912 2 BHEETS-SHEET 2 I zz'fzkli'flrad izzz vg,Witnesses I I nv r -A'ttorney;

the county of Finney, State UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERREMAN 0. MEEK AND CURTIS E. BRADBURN, OF GARDEN CITY, KANSAS.

COLL-APSIIBLE roam.

Application To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HERREMAN O. MEEK and CURTIS E. BRADBURN, citizensof the United States, residing at Garden City, in of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Collapsible Form, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a collapsible form for thefashioning of i arches, and to provide novel mechanism whereby the formmay be rigidly upheld,

and collapsed at the will of the operator.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, .the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1 tended position;

In the draw1ngs,-Figure 1 is a perspective showing the collapsible formin dis- Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the form in collapsed position;Fig. 3 is a erspective of the mechanism whereby the orm is manipulated,parts being broken away; Fig. 4 is a perspective of the mechanismwhereby the form is manipulated, the parts of the mechanism being in thepositions which they will assume when the form is upheld; Fig. 5 is anend elevation of the form and its operating mechanism, the form beingupheld; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of one of the hinge members; andFig. 7 is a fragmental "elevation of one end of the collapsible form.

The form proper may be of any desired outline and will of course vary toconform to the intrados'of the arch which is to be fashioned. In thepresent instance, the form is shown as comprising skew backs 1,shoulders 2 resting upon the skew backs 1, and a key board 7, disposedbetween the upperends of the shoulders 2. The shoulders 2 may be of onepiece construction, or, if desired, as shown,

the downward movement of the key board 7 Specification of Letterslatent.

filed December 1, 1910. Serial No. 595,076.

they may consist of. lower plates 3, and upper plates 4, secured.

line being united with the Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

may be limited by flexible members 8, each of which issecured at one endto the key board 7, and at theother end toone of the upper plates 4.

he invention further includes a collapsing member 9, ordinarily takingthe form of a rod, and disposed longitudinally of the collapsible form,in the interior thereof. Spaced hinge plates 10 are secured to thecollapsing member 9, and similar hinge plates 11 are secured to theinner face of the board 7. "Links 12 and 14 unite ally, the hingedplates 10 and 11.

It will be seen from the foregoing, that the key board 7 may be movedvertically with respect to the collapsing member 9. with which it ispivotally connected by means of links 12 andl i. Horizontally dis osedlinks 15 are pivoted as at 16 to t e collapsing member 9. The outer endsof the links 15 are pivotally connected with hinge members, denoted en-'erally by the numeral 17 in Fig. 1. he hinge members 17 each comprise avertical arm 18- which is secured to the skew back 1, and a horizontalarm 19, to which the link 15 is immediately pivoted, as shown at 20.

The horizontal bers 17 are and beyond arms 19 of the hinge memprovidedadjacent their ends,

the pivot point 20," with out-- standing fingers 21,; adapted to engagethe I edges 0 links 15.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the skew backs l andtheshoulders .2 may-be moved horizontallywith res ect to'the' collapsingmember 9 with whic are pivotally connected by means of the'links'15.

A variety of mechanisms may be provided for maintaining the links 12-and14 in vertical positions, so as to sustain the key board. If desired,this mechanism may consist of a toggle, denoted generally by the numeral.22 in'Fig. 1. his to gle 22"con-' sists of a member 23 which is"pivoted to the link 12, and a member 24 WhlCll is to the collapsingmember 9, the mem rs28 and 24 pivoting and knuckling together at h theirad acent ends, as shown at 2.5. p The invention further includes a,crotch line, denoted ivoted 10. generally by the numeral 26" in Fig. 1.'One branch 27 of the crotch line I 26 is united member 9, the otherbranch v link 12. At its extremity, the crotch line 26 may be providedwith an eye 29'; the collapsing member with the end of the collapsing 28of the crotch 31 upon. one section of the collapsible form,

the shoulders 2 inwardly.

extending within the next section thereof.

Presupposing thatthe device is positioned as shown in, Fig. 1, theoperation of" the same is as follows. After the arch has been fashionedover the collapsible form, the toggles 22 may be manipulated, to set thelinks 22 free, so that they may be tilted downwardly. If the crotch line26 be drawn upon, the branch27 of the crotch line will advance thecollapsing member 9, disposing the links 15 in the angular relation seenin Fig. 3, and drawing the skew backs l and The branch 28 of the crotchline will tilt the link 12, causing thekey board 7 to descend, theshoulders 2 folding above the key board 7 as disclosed in Fig. 2. Theform is thus collapsed, and may be withdrawn from the arch which hasbeen formed. thereon.

If desired, the crotch line 26 may be made of considerable length, theeye 29 in one crotch line being engaged over the hook 30 of the member 9of the next section, so that one section after another may readily bewithdrawn.

is-claimed I I 1. In a device of the class described, a

Obviously, in setting up the collapsible form, the toggle 22 serves touphold the key board 7, the fingers 21, engaging the edges .of the links15, serving to maintain the, links 15 in alinement, as shown in Fig. 4,thus maintaining the skew backs 1 and the shoulders 2 spaced apartproperly, and in cooperation with the board 7 which is maintained initsuplifted position by means of the links 12 and 14.

It will be noted that the collapsing member 9 is adapted to rest uponacommon support with the form. The collapsing memer thus serves as arigidly supported base, adapted to receive the thrust of the key "board7, the thrust being transmitted by meansof the links 12 and 14.Obviously, the toggle member 22- constitutes a locking device,maintaining the links 12 and 14 in upright positions, thereby to supportthe key board 7 which constitutes the top of the collapsible form.

Havingthus described the invention what.

collapsible form; a collapsing member movj able within andlongitudinally of the form,

the collapsing member being adapted to rest upon a common support withthe form; oppositely extended links pivotally uniting the collapsingmember with the sides of the form; spaced links pivot-ally uniting thecollapsing member with the top of the form; a locking device connectingone of the last named links with the collapsin member to uphold the topof the form; an a crotch line, one of the branches of which is connectedwith the collapsing member, the other branch thereof being connectedwith the link to which the locking device is applied.

2. In a device of the class described, a collapsible, open-bottomed formincluding shoulders; skew backs hinged to the lower edges of theshoulders; a key board disposed between t-he'upper edges of theshoulders; a collapsing member movable within the form and adapted torest upon a common support with the form; oppositely extended linkspivoted at their adjacent ends to the collapsing member, and at theirremote ends pivoted to the skew backs; spaced links pivoted to thecollapsing member and to the key board; and flexible elements connectingthe key board with the shoulders; the collapsing member beinglongitudinally movw able, to fold the skew backs inwardly, and to movethe key board downwardly, whereby the weight of the key board will fallupon the flexible members, thereby moving the upper portions of theshoulders into overlapping relation above the key board.

3. In a device of the class described, a collapsible form includingshoulders; skew backs hinged to the shoulders; a key board disposedbetween the shoulders; flexible elements uniting the key board with theshoulders; a collapsing member movable within the form and ada ted torest upon a common support with the orm; oppositely extending linkspivoted at their adjacent ends to the collapsing member, and at theirremote ends pivoted to the skew backs; spaced links pivoted to thecollapsing member and to the key board: a locking device enga ing one ofthe last named links to uphold't e board; and a crotch line having oneof its branches attached to the collapsing member, the other branch ofthe crotch line being secured to the link which is provided with thelocking device.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoafiixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

HERREMAN O. MEEK. CURTIS BRADBURN.

Witnesses:

WM. Eas'ron HU'rcmsoN C. E. VANcE.

